Dermatome



Dec. 31, 1946. I J. A. JEI-QNEY DERMATOME Filed June 16, 1944 INVENTOR. Jo/uzH ejFLTLEI i H 01 rcer/ Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DERMATOIHE John A. Jenney, Flushing, N. Y.

Application June 16, 1944, Serial No. 540,583

This invention relates to a surgical instrument used for cutting off portions of skin for grafting purposes commonly called a Dermatome the object of the invention being to provide an improved surgical instrument of this class, simple in construction, efficient in use and which will permit the surgeon to view the work that is being done by the knife at all times.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a cross section of this improved surgical instrument.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a detail View of one of the posts for supporting the knife.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and its mode of operation, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

One form of this instrument generally consists of a semi-cylindrical member or drum 2 adapted to be rotated over the surface of the patient at the point where the skin is to be excised for the purpose of making the graft. This drum 2 is supported on a shaft 3 longer than the width of the drum and which shaft is capable of reciprocation relative to the drum. The shaft 3 carries at its ends a pair of posts 4 suitably connected at their lower ends for the reception of a knife, the posts being fastened to the shaft so that the shaft and knife can be reciprocated to cut the skin from the patient. The lower ends of these posts are provided with U-shaped ends 5 for the reception of a U-shaped channel member 6 supporting the knife 1 for reciprocation.

In operation, a suitable adhesive is applied to the surface of the drum and also may be applied to the skin of the patient corresponding to the amount of skin to be severed so that when the drum is rolled over the patients surface, the skin will be lifted and when the knife is reciprocated, it will be severed for use in making the graft.

The difllculty, however, in the use of an instrument of this kind is that while the surgeon can see exactly the operation of the knife at the commencement of the excision, the drum during its manipulation over the surface of the patient interferes with his vision and, consequently, the

6 Claims. (C1. 128-3055) 2 knife may not cut sufiiciently deeply or may cut too deeply after the excision is started.

Therefore, to remedy this serious defect, I have provided the instrument with a mirror so angularly supported that the surgeon can at all times see just how the instrument in operating.

This mirror 8, which may be made of any suitable material, as mirrored metal, is supported at the proper angular position by two posts or arms 9, the inner ends of which are connected, detachably or otherwise, as desired, to the channel member 6 supporting the knife 1, and so angularly 1ocated that the mirror is supported at the proper angle to permit the surgeon at all times to obtain a view of the operation of the instrument.

These posts 9 are provided with suitable means for securing them to the channel member carry.- ing the knife and this means may consist of screws or any other desired device by means of which the mirror and its posts may be readily detached from the instrument. For instance, the mirror posts 9 may be screwed into the channel supporting member 5 of the knife.

These posts are provided with slots H! for the reception of the lower edge of the mirror 8 and carry adjustable screws H for tightly securing the mirror to the posts at the proper angle so that the mirror may be detached or the mirror and its posts may be detached, as desired.

The advantages of this improvement are that the operator or surgeon is always in'a comfortable position and the graft being cut is in full view of the operator at all times so that the cutting edge of the knife is always in full view of the operator and any errors in cutting can be easily detected and corrected.

Not only this, but the mirror permits the operator to stand sufiiciently far away to obtain a comprehensive view of the graft being made. In addition, the mirror permits the proper cutting angle to be fixed automatically-4n other words, permits the cutting edge of the knife to be seen at all times so that the cutting angle will be correct, whereas, if the cutting edge of the knife is out of view, it means that the operator has either raised or lowered the knife holding portion and the cutting angle is incorrect.

Furthermore, lateral motion of the drum is possible while viewing the operation through the mirror so that if the blade is cutting through adjacent tissue, this can be seen and corrected immediately by lateral tilting of the blade of the instrument. Also, the mirror is so elevated that the instrument will not drag on the raw tissue which remains after the graft is cut.

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or allof the modes of its use, I claim:

1. A skin grafting instrument having a skin contact member, a knife support for the reception of a reciprocating knife having its cutting edge in position below a part of the skin contact member, a mirror attached to the instrument in elevated position to permit the operation of the cutting edge of the knife below said skin contact member to be observed.

2. A skin grafting instrument having a curved skin contact member, a knife support reciprocal relative thereto and a mirror attached to said knife support and suitably elevated to permit the operation of the instrument to be observed below its curved contact with the skin.

3. A skin grafting instrument comprising a semi-cylindrical drum, a pair of posts, a shaft longer than the width of the drum and secured to said posts for supporting the drum and reciprocal relative to the drum, a knife supporting member carried by the posts for supporting a reciprocating knife, a pair of posts supported by the knife supporting member and located at an angle relative thereto, and a mirror carried by the posts in elevated position in relation to the cutting edge of the knife.

4. A skin grafting instrument having a skin contact member, a knife support connected and reciprocal relative thereto, a reciprocating knife carried by said'support, and a mirror secured to said knife support and located at an angle thereto.

5. A skin grafting instrument having a rolling skin contact member, a knife support connected thereto and reciprocal relative to said contact member, a knife carried by said support, and a mirror secured to said knife support and located at a suitable angle to permit the operation of the instrument to be observed. 

